Traditionally, a game system has been known in which a portable game device automatically conducts wireless communication with another portable game device, receives data (character data, item data) from the other portable game device, and executes games with the data received.
In example embodiments dealing with a portable game device configured to execute a game with data transmitted/received automatically to/from a portable game device of another player closely located, a result of game executed with the data received is given as a feedback to the portable game device of the other player.
(1) An example embodiment is a game system including a player portable game device and at least one other-player portable game device which, while being close to each other, are capable of automatically conducting wireless communication with each other even when no game program is running. The game system includes: an other-player data receiver, an other-player generator, a game processor, an acquisition information generator, a transmitter, an acquisition information receiver, a first acquirer. The other-player data receiver is configured to automatically receive other-player data from the other-player portable game device through the wireless communication. The other-player generator is configured to generate an other-player character based on the other-player data. The game processor is configured to execute a game with the other-player character which is automatically controlled and a player character which is an object controllable by a player. The acquisition information generator is configured to generate acquisition information which enables the other-player portable game device to acquire an acquisition based on a result of the game, the acquisition being at least one of a predetermined item, a score, and a benefit. The transmitter is configured to transmit the acquisition information to the other-player portable game device by automatically conducting wireless communication with the other-player portable game device after the acquisition information is generated. The acquisition information receiver is configured to automatically receive the acquisition information through the wireless communication. The first acquirer is configured to acquire the acquisition based on the acquisition information received.
With the structure, the other-player data is automatically received from the other-player portable game device through the wireless communication, and the other-player character is generated using this other-player data. Then, the game is executed with the other-player character and the player character. In this game, the other-player character is automatically controlled (computer-controlled), and the player character is controlled by the player operation. Then, the acquisition information is generated which enables the other-player portable game device to acquire an acquisition based on a result of the game, the acquisition being at least one of a predetermined item, a score, and a benefit. This acquisition information generated is automatically transmitted to the other-player portable game device through the wireless communication. Since the other-player portable game device (technically, the player of this device) having received this acquisition information is able to acquire an acquisition based on the acquisition information, it is possible to acquire an acquisition based on the game result, using the received data. This enables the portable game device to send as a feedback the result of the game using the other-player data received to the other-player portable game device having transmitted the other-player data. Further, the other-player portable game device is able to receive as a feedback the result of game using the other-player data automatically transmitted.
Since the player of the other-player portable game device is able to acquire an acquisition in a way other than playing a game in the other-player portable game device, the way of acquiring the acquisition is diversified. Since the chances of obtaining an acquisition will increase with an increase in the number of portable game devices approached, it is possible to give the player of the other-player portable game device an enjoyment of carrying the other-player portable game device.
(2) In the game system, the game processor may execute a competing game in which the player character and the other-player character compete against each other. This enables the other-player portable game device to acquire an acquisition based on a result of the competing game.
(3) The game system may further include a judging component. The judging component is configured to judge which one of the player character and the other-player character wins the competing game. The acquisition information generator may generate the acquisition information only when the other-player character wins, based on a result of judgment by the judging component. With this structure, the portable game device is able to enable the other-player portable game device to acuire an acquisition only when the other-player character generated using the other-player data wins the game. Thus, by generating other-player data that likely leads to winning in the game, the other-player portable game device is able to acquire an acquisition through the acquisition information received. This gives the player of the other-player portable game device an enjoyment of generating other-player data that leads to winning in the game. Note that the other-player data that likely leads to wins in the game is for example other-player data that allows generation of an other-player character with high performance.
(4) The game system may further include a second acquirer. When the player character wins based on the judgment by the judging component, the second acquirer may enable the player to acquire an acquisition identical to or different from the acquisition acquired by the other-player portable game device. With this structure, the portable game device is able to enable its player to acquire an acquisition only when the player character wins over the other-player character. This motivates the player of the portable game device to win over the other-player character.
(5) In the game system, the game processor may execute a cooperating game in which the player character cooperates with the other-player character to progress the game. This enables the other-player portable game device to acquire an acquisition based on a result of the cooperating game.
(6) The game system may further include a third acquirer. The third acquirer enables the player to acquire the acquisition according to a result of the game executed by the game processor. The acquisition information generator may generate the acquisition information which enables the other-player portable game device to acquire the acquisition identical to the acquisition acquired by the player with the use of the third acquirer. With this structure, the player character and the other-player character progress the game in cooperation with each other, and the player of the portable game device and the player of the other-player portable game device are able to acquire the same acquisition based on a result of the game. This causes the player of the portable game device to wish for an other-player data to achieve a preferable game result (result by which a preferable acquisition is obtainable) in cooperation and when receiving such other-player data, causes the player to be delighted. Note that the “an other-player data to achieve a preferable game result in cooperation” is for example other-player data that allows generation of an other-player character with high performance.
(7) The system may further include a determiner. The game processor may execute a game in which the player character plays a ball game against the other-player character. The determiner may be configured to determine the acquisition based on passing of a ball object through an item object arranged in a game space of the ball game. The acquisition information generator may generate the acquisition information which enables the other-player portable game device to acquire the acquisition determined by the determiner. With this structure, the player is able to play, in addition to a game which enable the player character to play a ball game with the other-player character, a game of letting pass the ball object in the ball game through an item object arranged in the game space. Further, for example, in cases of adopting the structure which enables the player of the portable game device to acquire the acquisition determined by the determiner, it is possible to motivate the player of the portable game device to cooperate with the other-player character so that the other-player character is able to let the ball pass as many item objects as possible. For example, in the tennis game, it is possible to have the player of the portable game device hit the ball to facilitate the shot by the other-player character, and this improves the enjoyment of the game.
(8) The system may further include a player data generator. The player data generator may generate player data to be used as the other-player data in the other-player portable game device. The transmitter may transmit the player data to the other-player portable game device. This structure enables transmission of the player data to the other-player portable game device, as the other-player data. In the other-player portable game device, the other-player character is generated based on the player data and is used in a game along with the player character of the other-player portable game device. By receiving from the other-player portable game device the acquisition information, based on a result of the game, the player portable game device is able to acquire an acquisition based on the result of the game in the other-player portable game device. Thus, the player data (other-player data) and the acquisition information are bi-directionally transmitted and received between the portable game device and the other-player portable game device.
(9) The game system may further include a log storage. The log storage may be configured to store playing log and/or a status of the game played by the player. The player data generator generates the player data containing the playing log and/or the status of the game stored in the log storage. The game processor controls motions of the other-player character generated based on playing log and/or a status of the game contained in the other-player data. With this structure, the other-player character based on the player data is controlled based on the playing log and/or the status of the game played by the player of the portable game device, in the other-player portable game device. Thus, the better the playing log and/or the status, the more preferable the result of the game in the other-player portable game device becomes, and the acquisition acquired based on the acquisition information from the other-player portable game device becomes more preferable as such. This motivates the player of the player portable game device to improve the player's playing log and/or the status of the game. It is therefore possible to improve the enjoyment of the game.
(10) The other-player data receiver and the transmitter may directly conduct the wireless communication with the other-player portable game device, without having another device relaying the wireless communication. This structure enables the player portable game device to perform wireless communication with an other-player portable game device located nearby without another device relaying the communication. Therefore, even when the communication status with the other device is not good, communication is possible as long as the communication status is good between the player portable game device and the other-player portable game device.
(11) The system may further include a position specifying unit configured to specify the position of the player portable device. When the player portable device is determined as to be nearby the other-player portable device based on the specified position of the player portable device, the other-player data receiver and the transmitter conduct the wireless communication with the other-player portable device via a predetermined server. This structure enables the player portable game device and the other-player portable game device to transmit and receive data therebetween, even when the player portable game device is not positioned within a short distance that enables direct communication, from the other-player portable game device. This is advantageous in that the range in which the player portable game device and the other-player portable game device are able to transmit and receive data is not limited to the range in which the player portable game device and the other-player portable game device are able to directly communicate with each other. Thus, communication between the player portable game device and the other-player portable game device is possible, even in areas where the portable game devices are not widely spread and the player portable game device and the other-player portable game device are hardly positioned within a communicable range from each other.
The above described example embodiment may be implemented in the form of game control method, portable game device, and computer-readable storage medium.
With the example embodiment, the player portable game device is able to transmit to the other-player portable game device the acquisition information which enables the other-player portable game device to acquire an acquisition based on a result of game with the data received from the other-player portable game device. By enabling the other-player portable game device to acquire the acquisition based on the acquisition information, the other-player portable game device is able to acquire the acquisition based on the result of the game using the data received from the other-player portable game device. Thus, the player portable game device is able to send as a feedback the result of game executed with the other-player data, to the other-player portable game device having transmitted the other-player data. Further, the other-player portable game device is able to receive as a feedback the result of game using the other-player data automatically transmitted.